Decks and other outdoor structures are becoming increasingly popular as homeowners spend more time outside of their homes. Decking assemblies typically include horizontal floors raised above the ground. Often such decking assemblies are attached adjacent to residential and commercial buildings. Other uses for such decking assemblies are boardwalks, boat docks, stairs, benches and bridges. Such decking assemblies are often formed from a substructure formed with joists and headers. Several deck boards are then transversely fixed across the joists of the sub-frame, in a generally parallel relationship, by way of nails or screws driven through the top surface of the boards.
The use of nails with wooden deck boards in conventional decking assemblies, however, exhibits several shortcomings, such as compromised structural integrity, difficulty in assembly, and limited aesthetic appeal. For example, with hammering it is easy to miss the head of the nail and cause unsightly dents and scratches on the top surface of the boards. Additionally, both nails and screws are prone to rusting, thus discoloring the top surface of the boards and weakening the nail. This, in turn, compromises the structural integrity of the decking assembly. Also, nails and screws have the tendency to cause wood to split, and to work up from their placements when stressed, further compromising the structural integrity of the decking assembly. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve a uniform spacing for each deck board.
Other shortcomings of conventional wood decking assemblies include the vulnerability of wood to dramatic climate changes. This results in the constant expansion and contraction of conventional wood decking assemblies, which often causes cracking and weakens the entire structure. Additionally, the appearance of nails and screws from the top of the deck boards of conventional decking assemblies results in an aesthetically displeasing appearance. Equally as significant, the use of nails or other fasteners driven into wood boards makes disassembly and repairs of decking assemblies difficult. As such, disassembled boards typically include nail markings and holes from previous assembly, and are not easily re-used. In assemblies that employ screws instead of nails, pre-drilling of the decking boards could be done to avoid wood splitting and other problems, but this adds further time and expense to the decking project.
Additionally, homeowners are also building more elaborate and expensive decks. Because of the expense involved in such decks, customers often do not want to be limited to conventional “soft” lumber for the primary deck boards and other decking structures. Specifically, the beauty and lifespan of soft lumber products can be significantly less than hardwoods, such as cumaru and Brazilian walnut, and modern synthetic materials, such as weatherproof composite. Unlike conventional treated lumber deck boards, which are typically nailed or screwed to underlying joists as described above, hardwood deck boards and composite deck boards are typically secured with alternative fastening means.
For example, clip-on boards have been proposed as an alternative to nails. These deck boards are usually shaped in such a way as to dictate only one manner of installation. This asymmetry can cause problems with installation and maintenance, when later needed. Additionally, clip-on boards are typically not secure and can be removed without any tools, making them structurally weak. Similarly, tongue and groove deck boards have been proposed to be used in association with anchor clips that bend into place. However, this often results in a weaker structure with clips that are susceptible to rust and loosening. Moreover, tongue and groove assemblies typically do not allow for drainage of water, that accompanies a typical freeze and thaw cycle.
In view of the problems associated with these alternative techniques for deck assembly, hidden fasteners have gained popularity for composite and hardwood decks. Hidden fasteners or clips provide a more finished appearance free of visible nail and screw holes. Such hidden fasteners are typically inserted into pre-cut or biscuit jointer slots formed in the edges of the deck boards, and then screwed to the underlying joists to hold the deck boards against the joist. Unfortunately, conventionally available deck fasteners and clips suffer from several limitations that limit their utility. For example, many conventional fasteners are constructed of brittle materials and easily break when installed if over-tightened. Even if such fasteners do not break during installation, they often do not provide significant holding force for the deck boards, which may result in loose deck boards over time. Conventional deck fasteners are also often difficult to install and do not effectively grip the deck boards, often causing the boards to shift relative to one another, especially over time, resulting in uneven gaps between the deck boards. Accordingly, an improved hidden deck fastener, and related method of assembling a deck, that is desirable that does not suffer to shortcomings of known decking assemblies techniques.